


Pictures of You

by Marrilyn



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Banter, F/F, Fluff, Photographs, Teasing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-14
Updated: 2018-08-14
Packaged: 2019-06-27 12:01:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,429
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15685038
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Marrilyn/pseuds/Marrilyn
Summary: Reader finds Rowena's secret photo album.





	Pictures of You

**Author's Note:**

> Based on this prompt: imagine-your-fav-character.tumblr.com/post/150280358285/

The last thing you expected to find in Rowena's bag of supplies for spells and potions was a photo album. Thick, leather-bound, and embedded with strange symbols, it looked like every other grimoire in the witch's library. Curious, you opened it, expecting old, thin, yellowed pages written in languages you couldn't even identify, let alone speak. Instead, what greeted you were photographs.

Not just any photographs; they were of you and Rowena. Some were taken by you, others by her. You giggled, remembering her groaning every time you suggested taking a picture, and complaining when you asked her to be the one to take it. It was silly to keep all those photographs on the laptop, she'd claimed. They were only taking up space.Those moments had passed; there was no point dwelling on them when you would have many, many more exactly like them, if not better, in the future.

Right.

You should have known she was only putting on a show.

The album was filled halfway through. You carefully observed every photograph, smile widening at the memories.

There was one of the two of you in the mall, hands full of bags. Large sunglasses clung to Rowena's face, hiding her eyes. She was pouting adorably, like a child who'd had their favorite toy taken away. You, on the other hand, were all smiles and bright eyes, one arm wrapped around her while the other held the phone.

One photograph showed the two of you in front of your house. In one you were in your room, making duckfaces at the camera. It had taken you almost half an hour to convince Rowena to do it; she'd only relented once she realized you wouldn't leave her alone until she did so. There was one of the two of you in bed, tangled in sheets and one another's limbs, messy haired and half asleep. One contained only your linked hands, while another only showed the tops of your heads, leaned against one another, down to just below your eyes.

They were beautiful, each and every one of them. Special. Meaningful. You remembered every single moment, remembered the joy as you clung to Rowena and made faces for the picture, some smiley, some playful, all loving.

Rowena's, you realized, looking closer, were just as loving as yours. She may have pouted, or frowned, or rolled her eyes, but the love on her face couldn't be erased by expressions overly exaggerated for the sake of drama. She cared. She cared more than she was comfortable to admit. This album proved that.

Album firmly clutched in your hands, you headed for the living room. Rowena was on the couch, a tiny cup of tea in one hand and a spellbook in another. She sipped her drink as she flipped through the pages, eyes glued to the text you were willing to bet you wouldn't be able to read; she'd only began to teach you Latin, and so far you weren't very good at it. You were dreading the lessons in Gaelic.

"You didn't tell me you were keeping this," you said, holding up the album.

Rowena looked up. Her eyes widened, panic settling in those beautiful forest greens as they landed on the offending object. "How did you find it?"

"I was looking for sage," you explained. Was she mad you'd gone through her things? Surely not; the two of you shared everything. What was yours was hers, and hers yours. If there was something she didn't want you to touch, she would have told you.

Right?

"Are you mad?"

Better safe than sorry.

A smile broke on Rowena's mouth. "No at all," she replied, and you let out a breath of relief.

"Why didn't you tell me you were keeping an album?" you asked, though you already had a guess as to the reason. She may have made progress, but there were still things — emotional things — she wasn't comfortable expressing aloud. Centuries of protective walls and distance couldn't be erased by two years of romance, however genuine it was.

"I… I didn't know how," Rowena admitted. Her face fell, eyes shifting downwards to avoid yours.

Laying the album atop the coffee table, you took a seat beside her on the couch and reached for her hand. She was warm, almost hot, to the touch, like a furnace in human form. Her skin was as soft as the silky nightgown she was wearing, just as delicate, just as fine. Her fingers instantly wrapped around yours, holding them in an iron grip. For such a tiny person, Rowena was strong. The defined, firm muscles on her arms weren't just for show; she couldn't hold her own in a physical fight, but she was damn well able to defend herself — if her attacker were human. And a woman. Or a not particularly bulky man.

"Who's being silly now?" you teased, echoing the words she said to you every time you wanted to take a picture. Silly girl, you were.

As it turned out, not just you.

Rowena grinned, but it quickly faded. "I only have one picture of Fergus," she said. Her voice was unusually quiet, uncertainty mixed with pain coiling in those seven words. She took a long, deep breath and closed her eyes for a short moment, unwelcome memories no doubt swirling through her mind like flashbacks in a movie.

Realization dawned on you like a sharp slap to your face. She was still hurting over Fergus, still feeling guilty. She couldn't even remember him properly; all she had was a faded, centuries-old painting. "Oh, sweetie," you said, tightening the grip on her hand.

Rowena reciprocated, holding on as if her life depended on it. "I want to keep everything," she said. "Just in case…"

In case one of you got hurt. In case the dangerous life caught up to you. In case of everything bad and horrible that had happened to her throughout the centuries.

"I get it," you said, offering her a smile, bright and cheerful. You wanted to tell her nothing would happen, that the two of you would always,  _ always, _ be together, but you knew there was no point. Experience had taught her that things could go wrong when she least expected it. You threw a quick glance at the album, then returned your eyes to her. "I think it's sweet."

"Of course you do," she teased, instantly lighting up. Score!

"Don't be mean. I'm trying to be supportive," you replied in the same tone.

"My humblest apologies," she said dramatically.

You laughed. "You're impossible."

"Takes one to know one, darling," Rowena retorted.

You tapped the tip of her nose with your forefinger, and she scrunched up her face adorably. The expression made you melt; you loved it when she made that face, and she knew that. Sly little witch, she was.

"I take it you're cool with taking pictures, then," you said.

"Not in the slightest."

You didn't believe her. "We're gonna fill this baby up," you said, pointing to the album.

"No."

"Yes."

She groaned. "This is why I didn't tell you."

"Come on, it'll be fun. We'll make memories!"

She stared at you for a moment, contemplating your words, then, with a look of absolute defeat on her face, said, "I can't get out of this one, can I?"

"Nope." The opportunity was too great to pass up.

"Bollocks!" she mumbled.

You giggled. "I like it when you say that."

She snorted at that. "I suppose it's my fault for not hiding the bloody thing better."

Your face fell. "Do you really not want to take pictures?" You were only teasing; you didn't want to make her do something she wasn't comfortable with. "I don't wanna force you."

Rowena's lips widened into a bright smile. "I want to," she said, and you could tell that she meant it. "Just… tone down the enthusiasm a wee bit, would you?"

"I'll try," you said. She gave you a look. You shrugged. "It's the best you're gonna get."

"Fine, fine. You'd better try bloody hard," she warned.

"Or what?"

"You know what."

"I don't think I do."

Rowena rolled her eyes. "Don't test my patience."

"Guess you're gonna have to make good on your threat," you teased.

"You're cruel."

"Hey, you're the one threatening me!"

"Because you're insufferable!"

"Blaming the victim, are we?"

The two of you stared at each other for a moment, silence settling down like heavy fog. Then you burst into joint laughter, cheerful, happy, and suddenly, everything was right in the world once again.

**Author's Note:**

> Edited by OswinTheStrange.


End file.
